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Norwegian-flagged vessel harassed by Turkish warship in Cyprus waters

The government of Cyprus said on Monday that it will be lodging a formal complaint after a Turkish warship allegedly harassed a Norwegian-flagged vessel surveying for offshore oil and gas reserves inside Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zone on Saturday.

The Princess, surveying on behalf of French oil giant Total, was allegedly ordered by a Turkish frigate to “leave Turkish waters” and “abandon position” on Saturday evening.

“This is unacceptable,” Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides told the Cyprus News Agency, adding that demarches will be issued to the United Nations, France and Norway.